Indian opener Abhishek Sharma found himself under fire from fans on Twitter following yet another disappointing performance in T20I cricket. The young left-hander failed to get going in India’s second T20I against South Africa, played at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on November 10. India and South Africa are competing in a four-match T20I series, and this second encounter saw India struggling after being put in to bat, with both openers failing to make an impact.
India lost Sanju Samson early in the innings, leaving Abhishek Sharma with a golden opportunity to anchor the innings and provide stability. However, he couldn’t capitalize on the moment. Facing just five deliveries, Sharma scored only 4 runs, including one boundary, before succumbing to Gerald Coetzee.
Gerald Coetzee delivered a short ball on off-stump, tempting Sharma to go for a pull shot. Unfortunately, Sharma mistimed it, getting a top edge that easily landed in the hands of Marco Jansen at short fine leg. The dismissal added to Sharma’s inconsistent record in the format, drawing strong reactions from fans on social media. Despite his initial promise and reputation as a power hitter, Sharma has struggled to find consistency.
WATCH – Axar Patel Falls to Unfortunate Dismissal Following Hardik Pandya’s Powerful Shot in T20I Clash
His T20I career so far has been marked by a mixture of highs and lows. He began with a disappointing debut but quickly turned heads by scoring a sensational century in his second innings. However, his performances have dipped considerably since, with only 70 runs across his last eight outings. His recent scores – 0, 100, 10, 14, 16, 15, 4, 7, and 4 – highlight the inconsistency that has frustrated fans and selectors alike.
The lack of consistent scoring has become a talking point among Indian cricket fans, many of whom took to Twitter to express their discontent. Some pointed out that Ruturaj Gaikwad, a promising player with a more stable record, has been overlooked in favor of Sharma, who has struggled to replicate his early success since that lone century against Zimbabwe.
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Fan reactions ranged from calls for Sharma to be dropped to demands for more reliable players in the T20I lineup. As Sharma faces growing scrutiny, the pressure is on for him to prove himself in the upcoming games, or he may soon find his place in the team at risk.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is dropped out of T20I team for Abhishek Sharma who has never scored even 20 runs since that 100 vs Zimbabwe.
Abhishek’s last 10 ings – 0, 100, 10, 14, 16, 15, 4, 7, 4
Ruturaj’s last 10 ings – 40*, 0, 58, 123*, 32, 10, 7, 77*, 49
Shame!pic.twitter.com/k19d7ec5hW
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) November 10, 2024
Babar Azam welcomed another Zimbabwe bully named Abhishek Sharma in the academy 😍 pic.twitter.com/IiAFGlydZr
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) November 10, 2024
Abhishek Sharma’s last 9 T20i innings:
0(4), 100(47), 10(9), 14(11), 16(7), 15(11), 4(4), 7(8), 4(5)
He is clearly missing flat tracks and his partner Travis Head. pic.twitter.com/B9Qz4vTZWV
— Beast (@Beast__07_) November 10, 2024
Me to those who compare Abhishek Sharma to The Great Yuvraj Singh.#SanjuSamson #INDvSA #T20I pic.twitter.com/PLeQCKbvhZ
— Ashutosh Srivastava 🇮🇳 (@sri_ashutosh08) November 10, 2024
Yuvraj Singh meeting with Abhishek Sharma after this series 🤡#INDvSA #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/3Y47aneGdA
— Ankit (@revengeseeker07) November 10, 2024
Runs In Last 7 T20Is for India
Ruturaj Gaikwad – 356
Abhishek Sharma – 70The Fraud is Playing continuously and The Deserving Guy has been Dropped from the Team. This is how @BCCI Runs Cricket pic.twitter.com/cFHw2fiyUJ
— 🤍✍ (@imAnthoni_) November 10, 2024
Abhishek Sharma in last 7 T20i: 70 runs
Ruturaj Gaikwad in last 7 T20is: 356 runs— 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐨 (@SergioCSKK) November 10, 2024
Dear Abhishek Sharma yeh #T20Cricket match international cricket 🏏 team South Africa sa hai na ki IPL & Zimbabwe team sa
Abhishek Sharma Abhi tum Padhai par dhyan do
Jab IPL suru hoga tab aa jana #INDvsSAT20#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/sF1eEkLgKM— PREM BANA (@prembana_) November 10, 2024
Abhishek Sharma may not be picked for next series… Yashasvi Jaiswal to come for sure #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/LxTP4korn3
— Ghostly Cricket (@CricketGhostly) November 10, 2024
Abhishek Sharma without that century in international cricket:-
8 innings
70 runs
8.75 AVGGive me freedom
Give me fire
Give me Zimbabwe
Or I will retire 😭 pic.twitter.com/zWgitAfoO5— ` (@rahulmsd_91) November 10, 2024
Abhishek Sharma never disappoints just like Rohit Sharma 😂#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/c0CTJ8rwhP
— Hum Binod (@BinodnotVinod) November 10, 2024
Never ever trust a Sharma who tries to play careless cricket hiding behind the tag of selfless cricket. Abhishek Sharma is still not ready for intls pic.twitter.com/udqSKhYyao
— Pallavi (@Pallavi_paul21) November 10, 2024
